Crusader Kings
Alexios' Conquests
Under the brilliant leadership of Alp Arslan, the mighty ruler of the Seljuk Sultanate, the Turkish heathens have won numerous victories, including the Invasion of Byzantine Armenia. However the young, ambitious & equally talented Basileus of the Byzantine Empire: Aleixos I Komnenos, seeks to reverse the Infidel's gains & wreak vengeance upon them.
In Iberia, tensions between the warring states continue to boil. Both Aragon & Barcelona continue the war against the Moors, while an expansionist Castille turns against its' allies Galicia & Navarra in a bid to secure complete dominance of Christian Spain.
The revolt in France against the boy King Hugues II continues, while Saxon dukes in England rise against their Norman King, who is embroiled in conflict against his rebellious vassal, the powerful Duke of York.
In Eastern Europe, the death of the old Prince Svaitoslav has ended the aggression of Novgorod for now, as the Russian practise of gavelkind succession has divided his conquered lands up among his sons. However, the Rurikovich dynasty is still as divided as ever.
On the 2nd June 1079, Basileus Alexios orders for his levies to be raised. Some key military reforms produced by Alexios & Theodoros Gabras have begun to revitalise the Byzantine army, however the previous mismanagement & defeats have hurt it nonetheless & around 17,000 men are rallied.
Alexios acts swiftly, ordering his troops to occupy Koloneia, a territory lost to the Seljuks. The people of Koloneia welcome the Imperial troops back with open arms, and the province is subdued
Alp Arslan responds to the Byzantine occupation of Koloneia by sending a small army to crush to Greek population & reinstate Seljuk control. However he is unaware that the Byzatines have long since left Koloneia & are preparing to surround the Seljuks while they attempt to subjugate the rouge province.
Alexios' stratagem works, ambuscading a 7,000 strong Turkish army near the town of Tephrice in a glorious victory for the Byzantines.
Now predicting an numerical advantage, Alexios orders his army to pursue the fleeing Turks, hopeful to catch the main army in battle & expel to the Turks from Koloneia for good.
Hearing of Alexios' victories, Nikephoros calls for the levies of Epirus to raised & reinforce the Imperial army, in a display of loyalty to his Emperor that Nikephoros hopes won't go unnoticed.
As the Epirotian army leaves from Anatolia, lead by Georgios Palaigolos, Nikephoros is called to another Tradition faction meeting that has been assembled as a response to the war. Content with Cherson's leadership, Nikephoros sees no reason to try and replace him.
Cherson, always one of Alexios' biggest supporters (and the one who plotted with him to overthrow Michael) calls for the tradition fact to support the war in Koloneia. Cherson argues that the reconquest of Koloneia is not only important for the Empire, but also for the supremacy of the Orthodox faith, an argument that reasons well with most of the tradition faction. While not particularly religious, Nikephoros is certainly interested in preserving the traditional powers of the crown, and that includes its' territorial boundaries, and so he votes in favor of support.
The vote in favor of support passes with a large majority.
On the 8th of November 1080, there is bleak news from the War. Alp Arslan has forced the Imperial army out of Koloneia & subjugated the rebellious population. He has yet to meet the Byzantines in battle, however, but reports detail him having a slight numerical superiority over the Greeks who have been whittled down by attrition. Luckily the Epirotian army quickly marches to the front line with much needed reinforcements, to bolster the Byzantine forces.
The phony war between the two powers continues for sometime, with neither willing to commit their armies to battle - which would surely be decisive.Thankfully the Epirotian reinforcements have allowed Alexios to continue his campaign against the Seljuks, with him taking control of Koloneia once more, as well as Melitene & Aintab. Then, on the 28th November 1081, Alexios is able to secure an alliance with Georgia, which was once the target of his expansion, by betrothing his daughter, Eunike Komnenos, to the prince & heir of the Kingdom, Ushisha Bagrationi.
Not a month later, there is even more good news for the Byzantines, the Khagan of Khiva has conquered the Ghaznavid Sultanate of Afghanistan, the Seljuk's eastern neighbour. Declaring himself Padishah of "Bukhara", this new Empire presents a large threat to the Seljuks.
With the Georgian & Epirotian forces providing much needed reinforcements. there is little chance for Alp Arslan to win a decisive victory over Alexios & following the rise of Bukhara, the Turks now needs peace in the west in order to defend against the east. The mighty Seljuks begin to sue for peace.
New of Alexios' victory quickly spreads through the Empire. However Nikephoros Palaiologos never receives it, having died on the 29th January 1082, peacefully in his sleep, after a long life of 55 years. His son Georgios succeeds his father, and as a reward for his father's service & loyalty to the Empire, he is allowed to keep the Theme of Epirus.
Nikephoros will always be a minor figure of history, only noticeable for being the first "landed" Palaiogoloi & for his effort in the Byzantine civil war (known as the "War of the Five Emperors (sometimes "Six" or "Seven" depending on the source), where he loyally supported the collapsing Doukas dynasty, before then bowing to the rule of the Komnenoi and helping them establish peace after Basileus Alexios won the war.
Georgios is a different man from his father. Where Nikephoros was fiery tempered, Georgios is levelheaded. Where Nikephoros was skeptical of religion at best, Georgios burns with zealous fervor. And where Nikephoros was passionately loyal to all three of his Emperors, Georgios is ambitious & farsighted.
However the new Doux does share some traits with his father. He is equally as charismatic, being able to sway people to his cause with little effort & he is equally as diligent & hard-working, wanting to continue his father's reforms in Epirus.
At the time of his succession, Georgios was commanding the Epirotian army in Armenia & decides to build an Orthodox church in the newly captured province of Aintab to commemorate his late father.
On the 18th of April, 1082, Alexios & Alp Arslan sign a peace treaty. This is largely favorable to the Byzantines, who are ceded the provinces of Koloneia & Melitene, while having to return Aintab to Turkish control.
It is a time of celebration for the Empire, having almost made up for the disgraceful defeat years earlier.
Georgios quickly goes about establishing his court & council, appointing his two younger brothers, Romanos & Nikolaus, as his Magistros & Mystikos respectively, so to gain their loyalty. Georgios also begins to prepare his plans to secure more power for the Palaigoloi in the Empire & is not content in just reforming Epirus like his father was. He forges a document detailing in a lengthy passage, about how the province of Thessalia was rewarded to Nikephoros Palaiogolos by Basileus Issakios Komnenos long before Konstantinos Doukas awarded him the Theme of Epirus. He then sends his brother, Romanos to Thessalia to spread knowledge of this document around & gather support among the petty landowners & nobles, for his "rightful" claim on the area.
Georgios also begins to further his fathers reforms, buying the support of his two brothers & the corrupt Ecclesiarch of Epirus, in order to enact a law that forced greater obligations to the realm & the clergy's expense. This decision would weigh heavy on the religious Georgios' conscience, but in the end he would put his ambition before his zeal - and anyway, the new obligations where not much more than the previous ones.
Word has reached the Empire that Alp Arslan, now finally with a lasting peace against the Greeks, has turned his attention to the Fatamids of Egypt once more. The Fatamid Sultanate is in chaos, and will surely fall to the Turks before long, at least, that is what Alexios certainly thinks so.
In early 1083, the young Basileus sends messengers to every corner of his Empire, bearing an Imperial decree. A passage of it reads: "...My fellow Romans, Our recent victory against the Turkic heathens has proven once more that we are the master of the Orient. However, we need a true recognition of this title, from every Infidel & Barbarian alike, and to achieve this I propose a conquest like no other! We shall wreck devastation among the Mohammedan Saracens of Egypt & we shall return the Kingdom of God back to Imperial Rule!..."
The following days are met with mass celebration & feasting, as the Byzantine armies are raised for the coming war. This should be the crowning achievement of Alexios' already glorious reign.
In Iberia, the expansionist policies of the Castilian Kings, at the expense of their catholic neighbours, has turned them into the regional power of Iberia. However,the newly conquered Galicians are not very accommodating of their Castilian overlords & soon a revolt breaks out to secure independence for Galicia. Fearing that if Castille is not checked soon, they'll be next, Navarre allies itself once more with the Galicians. Castille unwillingness to attack the Muslims, rather than its' fellow Christians, has earned King Alfonso III an excommunication from the Pope at the request of the exiled King of Leon. However, the Muslims are equally unwilling to attack the divided Christians - as they themselves are too preoccupied with their own petty squabbles.
In Britain, England has finally subdued the rebellious Duke of York, however, Scotland was able to conquer Northumbria from the Yorkists before they where crushed. Clearly the Scots are eager provoke another war with the English & have revenge for the loss of Cumbria.
The rebellions in France are over & thanks the aide from Barcelona, King Hugues II is victorious. However the rebellions have cost France, as the Holy Roman Empire has used the opportunity to invade Flanders in a less subtle show of strength than before - something that France can do nothing about for the moment.
With news of Great victories flooding in from the Holy Lands, Georgios seizes the opportunity to improve his Demesne, working quickly & diligently to build new castles & fortifications in preparation for Epirotian expansion.
The war against the Fatamids goes exceedingly well for the Byzantines, with Alexios smashing the Egyptian army at Scandalon, and occupying Hebron, Acre & even Jerusalem itself.
Georgios is an avid supporter of the war effort, declaring the conquest as ordained by God & that Alexios and his commanders will be awarded a place at the Lord's side for their duty to Christendom. Soon Georgios becomes respected, especially in the Imperial palace, for his zealous preaching.
On the 16th of August, the Holy city falls & the Fatamid Caliphate, assailed by both Greek & Turk, submits to Alexios' demands. For the first time since the conquest of Caliph Umar, Jerusalem has returned to Christian hands.
The news of the Successful war causes commotion throughout Christendom, with many Western Kings & the Pope himself, coming to Constantinople to congratulate Alexios. Pope Lucius II announces a month of celebration throughout the Christan world & waves of pilgrims begin to flood into the Holy Lands.
The reception in the Dar al-Islam is complete Turmoil. The Fatamid Caliphate begins to crumble at its' seams, & the Sunni Caliph declares an age of renewed Jihad to recapture the Holy Lands & the 'City of Temples'. Alexios will be hard-pressed to keep his newly conquered land.
The exclamation of a Renewed Jihad comes with rumors of Islamic Order being established to fight off the heretical invaders, including mystic soldiers loyal to the Sunni Caliph. Georgios dismisses them as ludicrous & of little consequence, but there are some whispers throughout the Empire that perhaps Alexios has stirred something he shouldn't have,
Due to his Outright support of Alexios' war, which is now becoming to be thought of as fool-hardy by some in the Empire, & possibly also remembering Nikephoros' service to him, the Basileus offers Georgios the position of Adviser to the Crown. Ambitious as ever, Georgios sees this a way to improve his standing among the political players of the Empire.
If there was any sign that Alexios was concerned over the growing anger of the Saracens, he did not show it. He certainly did not let any exclamations of renewed Jihad stop him from expanding the Empire's territories & on the 3rd December 1085, he declared war on Duklja once more, this time determine to completely subjugate the Serbia duchy.
In 1086, Castille has completely dominated North-Western Iberia, becoming the powerhouse of the region, despite having lost the province of Viscaya to Navarra during the Galacian revolt.
In Britain, Scotland would experience a brief period of expansion, conquering the provinces of Northumberland from York and Carrik & Galloway from the Kingdom of the Isles. However in early 1086, Scottish possession of Northumberland would indeed provoke an English response, with the ageing King William "the Conqueror" personally leading the English army once more
Poland would also experience some few years of expansion, claiming a number of territories to the East.
The War in Duklja is quickly resolved, as the Serbia duchy had been left a rump state after the previous war. Alexios accepts the complete annexation of the Serbian lands.
At the same time, the Seljuk's achieve complete victory in Arabia. The Fatamid caliphate is reduced to a rump state, while the Seljuks once again ascend to become one of the most powerful nations in all of Eurasia. For Alexios, this is important as neither Sunni nor Shia Muslims are in a position to contest his possession of Jerusalem after the war, however with it finally over, that could now all change.
In early 1087, Alexios eager to expand Imperial power in the West, to help secure his position in the East & spurred on by a general Nationalist spirit within the Empire (thanks to the Basileus' constant victories) declares was on the Catholic Kingdom of Croatia.
This draws general displeasure from the West, the Pope in particular who denounces Alexios' expansion against Christian lands & attempts to rally up anti-Greek sentiment up against the neighbouring catholic nations, but aside from these theatrics, does little to stop it.
By the end of the year the Croats are in retreat. Or so it seems. However Byzantine over-confidence leads to a critical defeat at the battle of Banja Luka. Despite this, Croatia can't continue the war & so Alexios agrees to allow Croatia to become a tribute of the Empire, rather than cede territory.
The host of Byzantine victories have caused a widespread religious fervor throughout the Empire, something that Georgios relishes in. A tragedy caused by this zealous sentiment is the dire increase of persecutions of infidels & heathens - with many innocents executed for false accusations of fabricated heretical beliefs. One such case is brought before Georgios, a women accused of witchcraft, who is burnt at the stakes for her crime - a common conclusion for many of the trials. In Georgios' opinion, he is glad to be rid of the filthy nonbelievers.
However, Georgios' discrimination instead give his vassals & serfs the opinion that he is a just & godly man, for delivering swift retribution of the heathens that he judges.
Another sentiment that has the Empire in the grasp in an reverence of Basileus Alexios, who is thought of with admiration & unwavering loyalty for all his vassals. All throughout the Empire call him "The Wise Emperor" and Byzantine scholars write about how his diligent & tireless administration is the truest way to rule over a nation. Alexios has used his immense popularity to reform the Empire in his image, crippling the power of the council & ensuring the absolute rule of the Basileus, however even this blatant autocratic power-grabbing does little to tarnish his reputation as the greatest of the Romans.
In the last days of 1088, Romanos Palaiogolos returns to Epirus with good news for his brother. A number of influential landowners have considered Georgios' claim to Thessalia & have agreed to support his rule should he conquer the province. Perhaps the year of 1089 will be the year where the young Palaiogoloi's ambitious plans will finally come into fruition
Rumors begin to spread around the Near East of an Order of Assassin set up to combat the Sunni dominated Muslim Sultanates & Byzantine Invaders. Most, including Georgios, dismiss these militants as delusional drug-addicts.
Georgios prepares the Epirotian army for his war against Thessalia & its' controlling Doux, the deposed Basileus, Michael Doukas of Adrianopolis, however he first chooses to wait for his ally, Georgia, who is currently embroiled in a war of expansion against its' eastern neighbour, the Satrapy of Derbent. Meanwhile, Alexios continues his conquests...
In February Georgios arranges a matrilineal marriage between the Strategitissa of Anatolia, the granddaughter of the late Doux, Romanos Diogenes, who had perished in battle during the Byzantine invasion of Georgia, and his youngest brother, Philaretos. This succeeds in securing the Theme of Anatolia as a valuable ally in a coming war against Adrianopolis. Georgios is also able to use his wit & charm to negotiate an alliance with the Doux of Cilicia, the father-in-law of Romanos Palaiogolos.
Finally Georgios feels his is in a secure position to press his claim of Thessalia...
Note to Readers: This is another entry that spans 10 years, but I plan on doing longer ones in the future. I did try and make this one 12-15 years, but other issues meant that I spent more time of this then I would've liked to & so I am ending it early.
I hope you are enjoying my AAR. As a final notice, I would love to hear ideas & criticisms for future entries in the comments, such as, for example - if I should roleplay more as my different characters or keep to a more informative narrative. Also, any grammatical/spelling, corrections would be greatly appreciated as I'm afraid I don't really have time to give each entry an extensive read through after I've finished writing them.
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